Multiple Support Balcony

ABSTRACT

A balcony assembly for attachment to two load-bearing structures of a building is provided. The balcony assembly has a pair of plates and a supporting structure. The supporting structure is attached to the plates and provides rigidity to the balcony assembly. An anchor is associated with two sides of the balcony assembly and configured to attach the sides of the balcony assembly to the load-bearing structures of the building. The plates and the supporting structure are made of fiber reinforced plastic. The balcony assembly is useful in improving durability and installation time.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/040,673, entitled “Multiple Support Balcony”, and filed on Aug. 22, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of structural engineering. In particular, the invention relates to the construction of multiple support balconies for buildings.

BACKGROUND

In certain buildings, balconies that are supported by multiple supports, such as a pair of structural beams, are built-in-place from lumber. The balconies are then covered with a cladding or waterproof membrane to prevent water or other objects from dropping through the balcony or to the neighbor below. However, such balconies are subject to premature failure. When the membrane becomes compromised, for example because the membrane is torn, the membrane can admit moisture and make the underlying wood structure prone to rot. Building such balconies in-place can be time consuming. External scaffolding to the building may be required. Temporary guard rails or railings may have to be installed around the balconies.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Various balcony constructions and arrangements were considered for attachment to a building's load-bearing structures, such as beams or other multiple supports. For example, while a balcony of wood frame and plywood, covered with a skin of fiberglass, could be used for attachment to beams, its wood core could be subject to rot.

Structural engineering calculations were performed, including calculations relating to deflection, adhesion, and support. Structural testing was conducted. Installation and durability testing was also performed, including testing relating to maximum loads, gel coat durability of snow and ice removal, and handling of extreme temperatures.

A balcony was developed which uses fiber reinforced plastic, and can be more durable than a wood-framed balcony while meeting load requirements. The fiber reinforced plastic is free from organic materials that rot. The balcony can be less combustible than a wood-framed balcony, and can have longer life span. Pre-fabricated, the balcony can minimize installation time and expense as compared to built-in-place balconies. It can also obviate the need for balcony scaffolding and temporary guard rails. It can be lighter than the balcony of wood frame and plywood, covered with a skin of fiberglass.

A balcony of fiber reinforced plastic is useful in attaching to a building where the balcony is installed onto beams, projecting from the building, in cantilevered or posted arrangement. While the balcony may be supported by beams that are cantilevered, such balcony differs from balconies that are anchored to a concrete slab of a building in a cantilevered arrangement. Those balconies are usually not wooden-framed, particularly in high-rise applications.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a balcony assembly for attachment to at least two load-bearing structures of a building, the balcony assembly comprising: at least one plate; a supporting structure attached to the at least one plate and providing rigidity to the balcony assembly; and an anchor associated with at least two sides of the balcony assembly and configured to attach the at least two sides of the balcony assembly to the at least two load-bearing structures of the building; wherein the at least one plate and the supporting structure are made of fiber reinforced plastic.

In some embodiments, the at least one plate and the supporting structure form a stressed skin panel in which outer skins are supported by a plurality of ribs.

In some embodiments, the at least one plate has a foam core, the outer skins being further supported by the foam core.

In some embodiments, the at least one plate has a foam core that is closed cell.

In some embodiments, the at least one plate being made of fiber reinforced plastic comprises the at least one plate being made of biaxial fiberglass mat.

In some embodiments, the at least one plate comprises foam nested within the fiber reinforced plastic.

In some embodiments, the at least one plate or the supporting structure, or both, are made of fiberglass.

In some embodiments, the supporting structure is made of fiberglass cloth nested within fiberglass mat.

In some embodiments, the at least one plate comprises a top plate made of fiberglass with closed cell foam core and a bottom plate made of solid fiberglass, and the supporting structure is made of solid fiberglass.

In some embodiments, the supporting structure comprises a plurality of ribs distributed across the at least one plate.

In some embodiments, a rib of the plurality of ribs is bonded to the at least one plate by an adhesive.

In some embodiments, the anchor comprises surfaces of the at least two sides of the balcony assembly that are faced so as to be simply supported by the at least two load-bearing structures of the building.

In some embodiments, the anchor further comprises ledgers for mounting to the at least two load-bearing structures to simply support the surfaces of the balcony assembly.

In some embodiments, the at least two load-bearing structures are at least two load-bearing beams, and the anchor further comprises ledgers for mounting to the at least two load-bearing beams to simply support the surfaces of the balcony assembly.

In some embodiments, the at least one plate has a portion that overhangs the supporting structure sufficiently to promote drainage.

In some embodiments, the at least one plate has a portion that is made of foam core of sufficiently high density to support a guard rail.

In some embodiments, the balcony assembly is laminated with a fire retardant.

In some embodiments, the at least two load-bearing structures are at least two load-bearing beams that are posted, and the least one plate defines an aperture to receive a post of the at least two load-bearing beams.

In some embodiments, the at least one plate comprises a pair of plates that enclose the supporting structure in a generally parallel arrangement.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a balcony attached to at least two load-bearing structures of a building, the balcony comprising: at least one plate; a supporting structure attached to the at least one plate and providing rigidity to the balcony; and wherein at least two sides of the balcony are attached to the at least two load-bearing structures of the building; wherein the at least one plate and the supporting structure are made of fiber reinforced plastic.

Other aspects and features of the invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1A to 1C show a perspective view, a sectional side view, and a sectional end view, of a balcony in cantilevered arrangement according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a graph of combustibility test results;

FIGS. 3A and 3B show a perspective view of a balcony in posted arrangement and a sectional side view of a beam thereof according to one embodiment;

FIG. 4 is similar to the perspective view of FIG. 3A but showing plate compositions according to one embodiment;

FIGS. 4A to 4G show views relating to a top plate, including a side view of a pad according to one embodiment;

FIGS. 5A to 5D show views relating to a bottom plate according to one embodiment;

FIG. 6A to 6D show views relating to a supporting structure according to one embodiment;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are side views of other pads for a guard rail according to one embodiment;

FIGS. 9A, 9B, 10A, 10B, 11, and 12 illustrate a method of installing a balcony in cantilevered or posted arrangement according to one embodiment; and

FIGS. 13 to 16 illustrate another method of installing a balcony in cantilevered arrangement according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1A to 1C show a perspective view, a side sectional view, and a sectional end view, of a balcony 2 in cantilevered arrangement. The balcony 2 is attached to two load-bearing structures, such as two beams 4 or other interface, of a building 6. The balcony 2 has two plates such as a bottom plate 8 and a top plate 10, a supporting structure 12, and an anchor 14. The supporting structure 12 is attached to the two plates 8, 10 and provides rigidity to the balcony 2.

The anchor 14 is associated with two opposite sides 16 of the balcony 2 and configured to attach the two sides 16 of the balcony 2 to the two beams 4 of the building 6. The anchor 14 comprises surfaces of the two sides 16 of the balcony 2 that are faced so as to be simply supported at its ends by the two beams 4 of the building 6. The anchor 14 has ledgers 18 for mounting to the two beams 4 to simply support the surfaces 16. The ledgers 18 are attached to the beams 4 by nails or other means. Hardware located in each corner of the balcony 2, provided as part of a prefabricated balcony delivery, can complete the attachment to the beams 4.

The beams 4 are generally not part of the prefabricated balcony delivery. They can be engineered and built in place as would a wood frame balcony built to meet building code. As an example, tripled 2″×10″ or tripled 2″×12″ dimensional lumber could be used for the beams 4. The beams 4 can be clad with composite materials. The beams 4 are part of the building 6. The building 6 is shown with brick (cladding optional) and interior wood joists. The building 6 can be faced with wood.

The balcony 2 can have a pre-engineered guard rail system 20 supported by a bracket 22, a pedestal or pad 24, and connections 26. The pad 24 is discussed in more detail below in respect of FIGS. 4E, 4F, 7, and 8.

The balcony 2 has two plates 8, 10 and a supporting structure 12 that are made of fiber reinforced plastic. The balcony structure was tested for load, following the procedures detailed in ASTM E2322 (R2009) “Standard Test Method for Conducting Transverse and Concentrated Load Tests on Panels used in Floor and Roof Construction”, as required by ASTM E72-13a Standard Test Method for Conducting Strength Tests of panels for Building Construction. Transverse tests were loaded in stages to a 3× safety factor of 14.4 kPa for the balcony in positive loading and 3× safety factor of 3.6 kPa in negative loading. Concentrated loads of 4.45 kN were applied in strongest and weakest areas. Gravity and uplift load tests were conducted, a maximum test load was evaluated, and an allowable strength was determined. Table 1 sets out the load test results.

TABLE 1 Load Test Results In-Use Clear Span Maximum Test Allowable Load (mm) Load (kPa) Strength (kPa) Gravity 3,600 14.20 4.73 Uplift 3,600 6.99 2.33

The load test results suggested that simply supported balcony decks of the kind described herein having a clear span of 3,600 mm, or less, are strong enough to support live loads of up to 4.8 kPa listed for exterior balcony decks (as specified in Part 4 of the 2010 National Building Code and 2012 Ontario Building Code).

The balcony structure was tested for combustibility. A sample of solid fiberglass typical of the bottom plate and shear web construction (discussed in more detail below), laminated with AOC Firepel K130 by AOC Corporation, was tested using a CAN ULC S-135 cone calorimeter test for combustibility. FIG. 2 and Table 2 set out the combustibility test results.

TABLE 2 Combustibility Test Results HRR (peak) Test (kW/m²) 1 121.01 2 119.69 3 114.54 Mean 118.42

The balcony samples tested had a mean peak heat release rate of 118 kW/m². In comparison, white oak has a peak heat release rate of 219 kW/m² (“Fire Performance of Hardwood Species”, Robert H. White, USDA, FS, Forest Products Laboratory). The combustibility test results suggested that the fiber reinforced plastic is less combustible than hardwood. Use of the composite balcony in low rise buildings, such as combustible buildings, as an alternative to a wood-framed balcony improves fire performance.

The two plates 8, 10 and supporting structure 12 can be a stressed skin panel formed from a fiber reinforced plastic top plate 10 joined to a fiber reinforced plastic bottom plate 8 via a set of longitudinal fiber reinforced plastic ribs such as shear webs 12. The outside skins can be separated and supported by the shear webs and foam core (the top plate 10 is a fiberglass/foamcore/fiberglass sandwich). However, alternatively, the stressed skin panels can be hollow, with the outside skins being separated by and supported by shear webs 12 only, without foam or other core. Plywood or other organic material in the balcony 2, which absorb water, rot, or otherwise degrade over time, can be avoided.

The balcony 2 can be a stressed skin panel formed from a solid fiberglass bottom plate 8 and a foam-cored-fiberglass top plate 10, such as a panel or deck, separated by and bonded to a supporting structure such as solid fiberglass shear webs 12.

The top plate 10 can be fiberglass with closed cell foam core, such as PVC foam.

The top plate 10 can be made of 2 layers of 1808 fiberglass mat, ½″ rigid PVC foam, and 2 layers of 1808 fiberglass mat; the bottom plate 8 can be made of 1 layer of 1808 fiberglass mat, 2 layers of 3208 fiberglass cloth, and 1 layer of 1808 fiberglass mat; and the supporting structure 12 can consist of shear webs made of 1 layer of 1808 fiberglass mat, 4 layers of 3208 fiberglass cloth, and 1 layer of 1808 fiberglass mat.

The supporting structure 12 can be bonded to the two plates 8, 10 using a methacrylate adhesive such as Loctite H8000 by Henkel. The balcony 2 can be laminated with a polyester resin that is a fire retardant, such as AOC Firepel K130 by AOC Corporation.

An alternative anchor (not shown) can be provided. The anchor can be two sides of the balcony that rest on ledgers mounted to an alcove or walls of a building. The anchor can be sides that are fastened to beams for example using screws. The anchor can be a box section that allows passage of the beams to support them. For example, the balcony can have a box section that slides over the beams.

In use, the balcony 2 can be installed in volume by developers of low-rise buildings such as multi-unit residential buildings.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show a perspective view of a balcony in posted arrangement and a sectional side view of a beam. The views are similar to those of FIGS. 1A and 1B, but with the balcony having a post 30 at its corners. The building includes a wood post 32 within an exterior wall for supporting the beam.

FIG. 4 is similar to the perspective view of FIG. 3A but showing plate compositions. The building supports the two beams. The supporting structure, for example ribs 12, are attached to the two plates 8, 10 with adhesive. An end box beam 36 is provided. The top plate 10 can have layers as follows: layer 1 (10-1) of gelcoat 20 mil (outside layer), layers 2, 3, 5 and 6 (10-2, -3, -5, -6) of 1808 biaxial fiberglass with chop mat, and layer 4 (10-4) of foam. The supporting structure 12 can have layers as follows: layers 1 and 6 of 1808 biaxial fiberglass with chop mat, and layers 2 to 5 of 3208 biaxial fiberglass with chop mat. The bottom layer 8 can have layers as follows: layers 1 and 4 of 1808 biaxial fiberglass with chop mat, and layers 2 and 3 of 3208 biaxial fiberglass with chop mat.

FIGS. 4A to 4G show views relating to a top plate, including a side view of a guard rail post pedestal or pad 40. The top plate can be made of a gelcoat, laminate (2 piles of 1808, 12 mm foam core, high density inserts, and 2 plies of 1808), resin (such as K130), and laminate (which uses vacuum resin infusion). The top plate can be sized for a typical 3.6 m×2 m balcony, or measure 3.93 m×2.05 m for example.

A pad 40 can be made of high density foam core insert, such as “Coosa Nautical 20” with 20 lb/ft³ or 320 kg/m³ density foam interlaced with non-organic fibers. The high density foam insert can be inserted into a low density foam of a top plate. The pad 40 can be 38 mm thick and 142 mm wide, with guard rails mounted to the balcony via lag bolts fastened into the pad 40. The pad 40 can be similar in density and fastener holding ability to softwood lumber. Additional backing structure can be designed in, depending upon requirements of the chosen system. Stairs to the balcony can be omitted.

When posts are used to support the front of the beams, the top plate can be fabricated with a cut-out around the post. This avoids the top surface bearing the compressive force of the vertical posts.

FIGS. 5A to 5D show views relating to a bottom plate. The bottom plate can be made of a gelcoat exterior, laminate (base plate of 1808, 3208, 3208, 1808, of approximately 4 mm thickness; sides 1808, 3208, 3208, 3208, 3208, 1808, of approximately 6 mm; overlap cloth at all corners), resin (such as K130), laminate (which uses vacuum resin infusion). The bottom plate can be sized for a typical 3.6 m×2 m balcony, and measure 156 mm in thickness. The bottom plate can have a T-nut 46 of 1/4-20, laminated in place, in 4 places. The T-nut holds the balcony in place against the ledger so that it cannot shift, and prevents the balcony from being dislodged from uplift wind.

FIGS. 6A to 6D show views relating to a supporting structure. The supporting structure can be made by cutting ribs such as shear webs 52 from a 6 mm fiberglass sheet (a laminate stack of 1808, 3208, 3208, 3208, 3208, 1808), using fitment jig to space evenly and plumb, bonding the shear webs 52 to the bottom plate with H8000 adhesive, checking the top of the shear webs 52 for alignment, and bonding the top plate to the sides and the shear webs 52 with H8000 adhesive. The shear webs 52 can be spaced apart 385 or 400 mm as shown.

The ledger can be installed at a slight incline from horizontal to promote drainage of rain from the top deck. The top plate can have an overhang 58 (FIG. 6A) with an integrated drip edge (not shown) to stop water from running back under the balcony. The pad 40 can have a drip edge 64 (FIG. 4E) to promote drainage of rain from the top plate. The drip edge can have a radius R of 6 mm. The bottom plate can have small drain/vent holes 70 (FIG. 5D), for example of 6 mm in the bottom plate at a minimum of 6 locations, to allow condensation to drain from the internal cavity.

The top plate can have its surface made without penetration, other than pre-installed inserts of guard bases at designated locations. Fasteners and cut-outs can be avoided. Exceptions can be designed-in prior to balcony fabrication. Likewise, the sides or bottom plate can be made without penetration, other than the pre-installed vent holes and mounting hardware points.

The prefabricated balcony 2 is attached to the beams 4 (FIG. 1A), rather than piercing the building envelope when installed. This allows the balcony 2 to be installed with a slight gap, such as 3 to 6 mm, to the outside wall cladding, to promote ventilation between the balcony 2 and the building 6. Sealing of the beams 4 at the building envelope can be done by the developer.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are side views of other pads 76, 78 for a guard rail. The pads 76, 78 can be attached to a top plate core of low density foam 80, 82. The high density pad is inserted into the low density foam core in the location of the guard base, but is also of greater thickness than the rest of the top plate foam core. The pads 76, 78 can be a high density foam insert. In FIG. 7, a high density foam 84 is bonded to the pad 76, with them measuring 50 mm and 38 mm respectively for example. A guard base 86 is mounted on the pad. Lag bolts 88 of 100 mm length can be used to secure the pads 76 and guard base 86. In FIG. 8, a fiberglass plate 90 of 6 mm can be attached to the pad 78. A guard base 92 is mounted on the pad 78. Bolts 94 of 75 mm length, with washer and nut 96, can be used to secure the pad 78 and guard base 92.

FIGS. 9A, 9B, 10A, 10B, 11, and 12 illustrate a method of installing a balcony in cantilevered or posted arrangement. Beams 98, 100, in cantilevered or posted arrangement, are provided (FIGS. 9A and 9B). Ledgers 102, 104 are attached to the beams (FIGS. 10A and 10B). A ledger 102 is positioned with a small gap between the beam and top plate (FIG. 11). The ledger is positioned such that the top plate 106 does not contact the beam 98 (FIG. 12).

FIGS. 13 to 16 illustrate another method of installing a balcony in cantilevered arrangement. Beams 112, in cantilevered arrangement, are provided (FIG. 13). Balconies 114 are attached to lumber support beams by ledgers or other means such as bolts (not shown). Guard rails 116 are installed on the balcony (FIG. 15). A flashing 118 is attached to the balcony (FIG. 16) over the lumber support beams and across the front of the balcony.

The balcony can speed up installation. Rather than being built-in-place, the balcony can be pre-fabricated. Guard rails can be installed at ground level prior to the balcony being lifted into position for installation, thus avoiding the builder having to provide temporary guard rails on unfinished balconies. Backing plates for the guard supports can be pre-assembled into the balcony during manufacture. The balcony is prefabricated as a balcony assembly for use on low rise buildings such as combustible buildings.

The balcony can be a rectangular balcony, for example of 2 m width and 3.6 m span between supporting ledgers, but not limited to these dimensions or rectangular form. Where the balcony is ordered by a developer, the developer can be engaged while their building is still at a drawings stage, and the balcony design can be developed specifically to their requirements, with engineering sign off of drawings. Changes from the general case could include: span between supports 3.6 m or less, width, shape (modifications from strictly rectangular), supports (with/without front posts), surface texture (specific non-skid pattern), or provisions for guard rails (spacing, attachment type). A polyester gel coat resin can be applied to exterior surface. The top plate surface can be made to have a marine-type non-skid or non-slip surface, implemented at time of manufacture. In the as-tested scenario of maximum supported span of 3.6 m and maximum load of 4.8 kPa for the balcony, the balcony can be dimensioned to span 3.6 m or less.

What has been described is merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Other arrangements and methods can be implemented by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. 

1. A balcony assembly for vertical support by load-bearing structures of a building, the balcony assembly comprising: a pair of plates; a supporting structure attached to the pair of plates and providing rigidity to the balcony assembly, the supporting structure being formed of ribs integral with and sandwiched between the pair of plates; and sides of the balcony assembly configured to be supported vertically by the load-bearing structures of the building; wherein the pair of plates and the supporting structure are made of fiber reinforced plastic.
 2. The balcony assembly of claim 1, wherein the pair of plates and the supporting structure form a stressed skin panel in which outer skins are supported by a plurality of shear webs.
 3. The balcony assembly of claim 2, wherein at least one of the pair of plates has a foam core, the outer skins being further supported by the foam core.
 4. The balcony assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the pair of plates has a foam core that is closed cell.
 5. The balcony assembly of claim 1, wherein the pair of plates, the supporting structure, or both are made of biaxial fiberglass mat.
 6. The balcony assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the pair of plates comprises foam nested within the fiber reinforced plastic.
 7. The balcony assembly of claim 1, wherein the pair of plates or the supporting structure, or both, are made of fiberglass.
 8. The balcony assembly of claim 1, wherein the supporting structure is made of fiberglass cloth nested within fiberglass mat.
 9. The balcony assembly of claim 1, wherein the pair of plates comprises a top plate made of fiberglass with closed cell foam core and a bottom plate made of solid fiberglass, and the supporting structure is made of solid fiberglass.
 10. The balcony assembly of claim 1, wherein the ribs are distributed across the pair of plates.
 11. The balcony assembly of claim 10, wherein a rib of the ribs is bonded to at least one of the pair of plates by an adhesive.
 12. The balcony assembly of claim 1, wherein the sides of the balcony assembly configured to be supported vertically by the load-bearing structures of the building comprise ends of the balcony assembly configured to be supported vertically by the load-bearing structures of the building.
 13. The balcony assembly of claim 1, wherein the ends of the balcony assembly configured to be supported vertically by the load-bearing structures of the building comprise portions of the balcony assembly shaped to be supported vertically by ledgers of load-bearing structures of the building.
 14. The balcony assembly of claim 1, wherein the sides of the balcony assembly configured to be supported vertically by the load-bearing structures of the building comprise portions of the balcony assembly shaped to rest on load-bearing beams of the building.
 15. The balcony assembly of claim 1, wherein the pair of plates has a portion that overhangs the supporting structure sufficiently to promote drainage.
 16. The balcony assembly of claim 1, wherein the pair of plates has a portion that is made of foam core of sufficiently high density to support a guard rail.
 17. The balcony assembly of claim 1, wherein the balcony assembly is laminated with a fire retardant.
 18. The balcony assembly of claim 1, wherein the load-bearing structures are load-bearing beams that are posted, and a plate of the pair of plates defines an aperture to receive a post of the load-bearing beams.
 19. The balcony assembly of claim 1, wherein the pair of plates enclose the supporting structure in a generally parallel arrangement.
 20. A balcony supported by load-bearing structures of a building, the balcony comprising: a pair of plates; a supporting structure attached to the pair of plates and providing rigidity to the balcony, the supporting structure being formed of ribs integral with and sandwiched between the pair of plates; and wherein sides of the balcony are supported vertically by the load-bearing structures of the building; wherein the pair of plates and the supporting structure are made of fiber reinforced plastic. 